Zoology Wiki
Phylum Platyhelminthes

The animal phylum Platyhelminthes is a type of worm. This creature features a variety of characteristics such as it's flat, thin body type along with their three embryonic layers, and their flexibility. The platyhelminthes features a strange yet unique thin body that allows them to move around just about anything. Their flexibility also allows them to get into all types of places that other creatures can't normally access. The three embryonic layers that the Platyhelminthes consist of is the : ectoderm,endoderm, and mesoderm. The ectoderm (the outermost layer of the embryo) basically gives rise to the outer epithelium while the endorderm (theinnermost layer of cells or tissue of an embryo )gives rise to the lining of the gut tract. Now as for the mesoderm (the middle layer of an embryo , it basically gives rise to the tissue between both the ectoderm and the endoderm. For more information on the layers go to :http://www.esu.edu/~milewski/intro_biol_two/lab__10_platy_nemat/Platyhelminthes.html

The phylum Platyhelminthes is known to have no body cavity so they are considered to be acoelomate. This means that they have a liquid filled cavity. Some researchers have claimed that the acoelomate in the platyhelminthes is said to work as a hydrostatic skeleton, which is a collection of wastes and gametes. Studies have shown that the Playhelminthes don't contain an actual skeleton, no circulatory system, three layers, and once again no body cavity.

Although Platyhelminthes don't have a skeleton, circulatory system, or body cavity they do have a type of symmetry. The type of body symmetry found in these animals is a bilateral symmetry. A bilateral symmetry is basically like a mirror image. If you were to cut through the middle of a Platyhelminthe it would be symmetrical and alike on both side. A large variety of animals have a bilateral symmetry. Those who don't have this type of symmetry wouldn't have mirror like halves once cut.

Some example of the types of animals in this phylum would be animals such as Flat worms and Tape worms. Both of these creatures have a bilateral symmetry and consist of no body cavity. As well as not having a type of body cavity and their bilateral symmetry they also share some interesting characteristics. The characteristics that the flat worm is made up of is: three layers of tissues and organisms, have a mouth, mouth is located towards the end, contains a pair of eyes, ans contains a pharynx, also it looks kind of like a bow. Now for the characteristics of a tape worm